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This version of NSU News has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of NSU News, visit news.nova.edu.
This version of SharkBytes has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of SharkBytes, visit sharkbytes.nova.edu.
Identifying the Health Care Needs of Senior Citizens
Fort Lauderdale, FL – A central question in the current national debate about health care has been the impact of any proposed changes on the health and well-being of senior citizens. As noted in the December 2009 issue of The Qualitative Report, published by Nova Southeastern University, it is vital to understand the experiences and perspectives of senior citizens regarding the care they receive in order to develop effective measures to address their needs.
Two articles in the new issue of The Qualitative Report offer insight into this important issue. As the authors of “Older People with Complex Health Needs Desire for Change: A Qualitative Study” point out, “With the number of people 65 years and older increasing, it is becoming important to establish what older people want from their point of view rather than from their…health professionals’ perspectives.” In her study, Diane Jorgensen interviewed 129 individual 65 years and older and asked them, “If there was one thing you could change what would it be?” Their responses highlight the importance of improved care related to mobility and incontinence. One intriguing finding of the study was that “older people’s wish for a change in their health status decreases as they age.”
Jason S. Ulsperger’s study of neglect and abuse in nursing homes employed literary ethnography. He found that the most common forms of abuse and neglect experienced by seniors in nursing homes are those of infantilization, spoken aggression, and ignoring. Ulsperger points out that speaking to residents as children may reflect the caregivers’ association of care with the parent-child relationship, but “as an unintended consequence, residents interpret the use of this cognitive framework as degrading.” His study also found that administrators in nursing homes often reward staff who verbally abuse residents, believing “it helped to speed along work tasks.” Staff members’ focus on completing organizational tasks puts bureaucratic goals ahead of quality care, with tragic consequences.
These studies are published in the December 2009 issue of The Qualitative Report. These articles demonstrate the value of employing qualitative research to gain a better understanding of the concerns and needs of seniors regarding health care. You can read these and other articles of interest at http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR14-4/index.html.
Media Contact:
Felecia Henderson
(954) 262-5315, fhenders@nova.edu
Ron Chenail, PhD
(954) 262-5389, ron@nova.edu